Christmas Dreams
by Evening Lilacs
Summary: It's nearing Christmas, and everyone's merry in the spirit of the season... except Atemu. All he wants is to find love. He certainly has caught one girl's eye, but what about her heart? AtemuAnzu
1. Feeling Confused

**Disclaimer:** It's not mine... yet... -shifty eyes-

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**Christmas Dreams**

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Yugi sat before the fireplace with his grandfather one cold December night, Atemu across from him in another chair. The expression on the older boy's face appeared lost, detached. Though his facial expression showed no emotion, the waves of thought crashing and foaming in his eyes were enough to tell Yugi that something was majorly up. 

"Atemu, what's wrong?" Yugi was startled when their grandfather voiced the very question Yugi had been planning to.

"Nani?"

"What's up?" Yugi asked. "You're all quiet... Well you're usually quiet, but still..."

"I- I really don't know. I feel... odd."

"What do you mean? Do you not feel well?" inquired Sogoroku.

"No, it's not a physical feeling..."

"Then what is it? Spit it out," Yugi pressed.

"How do you expect me to, when I don't even know...?"

"Well you'd better figure it out, because if you keep up the way you're acting it's going to be a very boring Christmas this year," the younger boy joked. Even though Atemu believed in and worshiped his ancient Egyptain gods, he used Christmas to worship them because they didn't have any holiday of their own. He had taken delight in helping set up the pine tree in their living room that now glowed brightly with lights that played and frolicked with the various ornaments of the tree, their warm shine glistening off every surface in the room. It was Atemu's first Christmas, and Yugi planned to make it special for the older boy.

"Are you _sure _you don't know?" Sogoroku asked, his face giving off those I-know-you-and-how-you-think vibes.

"I'm not sure... Can we just drop it for now?"

"If you insist," the elderly man replied, but his last word rung uncomfortably in the air, making known the fact that they had not really closed off the topic.

"I'm going to bed," Atemu declared abruptly, getting up swiftly and lightly ascending the stairs to the upper rooms of the Kame game shop, home to the three.

"That was..."

"Uncharacteristic?" Yugi's grandfather supplied as Yugi nodded his agreement.

"Do you have any idea what he's thinking?" Yugi queried worriedly. It was not at all like Atemu to be so quiet, nearly... _moody._

"I have a guess. He's up in your room, correct?"

"I suppose, I mean, where else would he go?"

"I'm going to go up and talk to him... Yes, I'm going to ask him something. I wonder if he's ever..."

"Ever what?"

His grandfather shook his head. "If I'm correct, it's his business to tell you what he thinks he feels." With that he left for Yugi and Atemu's room.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being left out of a joke or something?" Yugi asked the Christmas tree, which in barely over a fortnight would be alive with brightly wrapped packages of all sorts, candy canes and cards. Yugi thought about what he'd gotten all of his friends.

For Jou he'd bought a few Duel Monsters booster packs the blond had been raving about for nearly a month, but couldn't afford after blowing all his savings on a video game. For Honda he'd gotten a new biking helmet he'd come upon one day at an old retail store. The helmet was black, with flames hand-painted onto it in green and blue. No doubt his friend would like that. Ryo's present, Romeo and Juliet which BlackCharmgirl does not own, hadn't been hard, and Otogi's nearly as easy to do, though he had made Otogi's. It was a set of Dungeon Dice Monsters dice, except they were painted with different Christmas symbols instead of the normal crests. He'd get a kick out of that.

For Jou's sister Shizuka, he'd found a necklace in the shape of a butterfly on a thin leather cord that he'd thought she'd like, and for Mai a bottle of inexpensive but sweet perfume. For Anzu, there was a bracelet he'd beaded himself saying 'f-r-i-e-n-d-s-4-e-v-e-r.'

He'd made the three Ishtars name plaques with their names written on them in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, which Atemu had helped him form, and for his grandfather there was a puzzle he'd made of thick cardboard, on which he had painted the words, "Best Jii-chan in the World, Merry Christmas!" and then cut into many, many pieces. He yawned and glanced at the clock. _It's been nearly half an hour since Jii-chan went upstairs to talk to Atemu. They must be done by now._

He slowly climbed up the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and walked down the hall until he was standing in front of the door to his room. To his surprise, he could hear that Atemu's usually strong, deep voice, which had made Yugi insanely jealous on more than one occasion, sounded choked, as if he had been crying.

"I just don't get it, Jii-chan. When I was one with Yugi, I could just blame it on his feelings, and it was really impossible to separate what he felt from what I did, but now I'm not sure what I'm actually thinking and what I'm just used to Yugi thinking, but the thing is, what if it _wasn't _ever Yugi thinking this, but really me? Then what do I do?"

"What would you normally do?"

"I-I don't know..." Yugi was shocked when he heard deep sobs coming from the direction of Atemu's voice. "I'm just so confused.."

"Ssh, it's okay. Though you're not used to it, what you're feeling is natural for your age. Calm down."

There was silence on Atemu's end, except for the sound of him taking a few ragged breaths. "Thanks Jii-chan."

"You're welcome. Good night, Atemu."

"'Night Jii-chan." Yugi heard heavy footsteps approach where he stood, and realized all too late that he was going to be found out. And he was.

"How much of that did you hear?" his grandfather snapped, an unusual ferocity in his threatening violet eyes.

"Just you two saying good night."

"Are you sure?" the older man asked, eying his grandson with apparent suspicion.

"Yes."

"All right... By the way, don't ask him anything tonight. He's been through enough lately by the sound of it. He'll tell you when he's ready." With that Sogoroku left down the hall for his room, leaving Yugi utterly confused.

"That was... weird." Yugi entered the room shared by the two boys. Atemu's breathing was ragged, making it clear that he was still awake, but the boy didn't give any indication of wanting to talk. Sighing, Yugi changed into his pajamas quietly and got into his bed, his breath evening out long before his yami's. While Yugi slept, the older boy was deep in thought, not able to sleep.

_What if I do like her, though? I know Yugi does, and I would be stabbing my aibou in the back with a rapier if I asked her out... but I want_ _to. Now what do I do? And what do I tell aibou if he notices?_


	2. Threatened by Shadows

**Disclaimer:** It's still on my Christmas list. If I owned it, I would be able to buy it FROM MYSELF, I'd be so rich. Not happenin' so far. Drat. I feel... unloved... The world is cruel.

* * *

Atemu swept the kitchen Saturday night, humming to himself. He had had a very good day. A very very good day. A very very very good day. A fantastic day. A phenomenal...

First he'd gotten to school with plenty of time to spare, beaten Kaiba to homeroom, kicked his butt at a duel, kicked his butt at a do-over, and then proceeded to kick his butt in twelve more duels before the bell rang. Then he'd beaten Kaiba by one point on their science test. Then he'd kicked his butt in no less than seven duels at lunch, then beaten his team at basketball three to two, even though he was a good mile shorter than everyone else. Then he'd beaten him on a math quiz by dumb luck.

Now, normally Atemu didn't hate Kaiba at all. In fact, the two actually regarded each other as semi-friends. But it still felt good to top him in everything for once.

That was why he was humming to himself. That was why he took it so badly when Yugi burst in the front door, panting, and screamed in the tan boy's ear, "I found the perfect Christmas present for Anzu to go with the bracelet I made her! Now she's bound to say yes when I ask her out!"

The short teen had been expecting a smile, support, possibly even a hug from his dark. He had not expected for Atemu to freeze in his sweeping, drop the broom, and stand there for a second in utter silence, then run from the room, biting his lip.

"What did I say?" Yugi asked the broom. When it didn't have an answer for him, he kicked it a few inches across the floor. "Whatever. Maybe he's getting sick or something." He picked up the broom and sighed, continuing Atemu's job of sweeping the floor. Suddenly his grandfather appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yugi."

"Yes, Jii-chan?"

"Do you know what's wrong with Atemu? He's locked your door."

"Our door has a lock?" That was news to him.

"With shadow magic."

"Oh."

"Do you know what might have bothered him? Did he look sick?"

"Well... I don't know. All I did was come in the door here-" he explained, pointing to where he had entered, "-and he was just sweeping, and humming to himself, and then he just stopped and turned pale when I talked to him, and then he ran upstairs." He was just as confused as his grandfather was.

"What did you say to him?"

"Well..." He blushed furiously. "Well, you know how I'm going to ask Anzu out once Christmas is over?"

"Yes?"

"Well I found this necklace that goes great with that friendship bracelet I made her, and I told him about it, and then he just... went all white, and his eyes got that mean look they get when he's dueling, and then he just ran upstairs-"

"Can you counter shadow magic, Yugi?"

"Well, yes... but not to rival Atemu."

The old man sighed. "I'm going to go talk to him. Could you... stay down here for a while?"

"Um... okay." His expression was a bemused one as his grandfather, for the second time that week, ascended the stairs to go and speak to his yami.

"Atemu! Open this door now!"

"Why should I?"

"How dare you disrespect me like that? Open this door!"

"No."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you." Sogoroku heard a sigh on the other end of the door, a ragged breath, and then the door gave way under his touch, hit by a bit too much power. That wasn't a good thing.

"Don't blow the door up," the elder warned.

"I'M NOT BLOWING THE DOOR UP! I'M OPENING IT!" At that second, the door gave a quake and split straight through the middle, ending inches from Sogoroku's sternly planted feet. The man raised an eyebrow as Atemu blasted said door with shadows, repairing it instantly.

"Control yourself, Atemu."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, CONTROL MYSELF? I WAS DOING PERFECTLY FINE UNTIL YOU CAME UP HERE AND MADE ME BREAK OUR DOOR! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TIRING IT IS TO FIX THINGS WITH SHADOW MAGIC?" the teen bellowed as the skylight above their heads gave a violent shudder.

"If that window breaks..." but Sogoroku found that he wasn't being listened to. Atemu had closed his eyes and flung around onto his back on his bed. His breath rattled as he fought to control his breathing, blocking all outside activity out in a meditative state. After a few minutes the skylight fell still. The boy took a few more deep breaths, then opened his eyes and turned to his 'grandfather.'

"Okay. It's not going to break. So what were you going to say?"

Sogoroku took a seat in the desk chair, making himself comfortable much to the other's displeasure. He still eyed the window warily, in case of any sudden outbursts from the ancient pharaoh.

"Yugi told me what happened down there."

"I WAS GOING TO BLOW HIM UP BY MISTAKE IF I DIDN'T GET OUT OF THERE!"

"Be rational, Atemu-"

"I WAS BEING RATIONAL! I DIDN'T WANT TO END UP KILLING MY BEST FRIEND!"

"Calm down," his grandfather ordered. Casting the man a whithering look, Atemu closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose for nearly a minute, jagged, wild shadows spraying out about the edges of his aura. But the room only became more insecure in its foundations, and a burst of wind conjured itself out of nowhere, whipping around the room and displacing various stray papers and small items.

"Atemu!"

The boy king growled under his breath as his soul fought to find a tranquil spot somewhere in a thrashing sea of emotions. After several long moments that dragged on cruelly for the two in the room, he finally re-opened his blood eyes. "What?" he whispered hoarsely, referring to the look of horror on his grandfather's face.

"You need to learn to control that better. Someone will end up hurt if this continues in this manner."

"YOU try having shadows as your constant companions, every second of every day," The boy cussed to himself in a few languages as he felt the shadows once again creep into his mind. _Come on, stay back! Stay b-_

Pain ripped through him as the boys' room was shrouded by a thick curtain of blackness. "WATCH OUT JII-CHAN! LEAVE!" he screamed as the darkness enveloped both of them.

"Atemu-"

"GO! I CAN HANDLE IT, BUT GET AWAY!"

"But-"

"HURRY! I CAN'T HOLD IT BACK MUCH LONGER! JUST GO!"

Venturing one glance back at the writhing boy, Sogoroku fled the room as floods of harsh shadow magic crashed about inside it.

"I hope he knows what he's doing..." he whispered worriedly. "This is not going to work out-"

"Jii-chan!" The man turned to see his shorter grandson bounding up the stairs, though his legs weren't long enough to take them two at a time. "Jii-chan, are you all right? What's going on? I heard a loud sound, like wind- OH MY GOSH!" He pointed a weak finger towards a thick black ooze flowing under the crack of the boys' door. "Is that... _shadow magic?"_

Sogoroku nodded grimly. "He's having a bit of a control problem."

"But didn't he master the whole control thing ages ago?"

"That's why I'm worried. And if there's something even _Atemu _can't do..." The man gave an involuntary shudder.

"Will... he be all right?"

This was greeted by silence. Complete, utter silence. Then it dawned on Sogoroku that it was silent, and he tenderly placed a hand on the door of the room, pushing it open. Atemu lay panting on the bed.

Yugi peered around the door frame into the room. "A-Atemu?"

The older boy's eyes shot open, and an unfamiliar look of panic crossed his face and swirled in great whirlpools in his eyes. "Get out of here. Now!" he ordered in a voice that was obviously being sent through a restraining process on its way out the owner's throat.

"YUGI, GO!" Yugi was surprised when Sogoroku shoved him away from the door, out of Atemu's sight. His grandfather led him swiftly down the stairs to the living room and plopped him down on a chair.

"W-What was that for?" the small boy spluttered. It was an unspoken rule in the household not to take advantage of Yugi's height or strength for anything.

"Stay away from him until he cools down. He was just trying to protect you. You would have gotten hurt."

"How?"

"It's not my place to explain the complications of the matter to you, but he'll have to. What I can tell you is that his shadow magic would find a direct path from his heart to you by way of hurt and anger. That's all you need to know."

"I-I hurt him? How?"

"In a way that neither of you can help. It's not how you think, Yugi."

The boy nodded. "So do we just... stay down here until we're sure the place won't get blown up?" He allowed himself a weak smile, which Sogoroku returned.

"You're half correct. You will stay here, and I will go and try to get him to calm down." With that he left for upstairs. Yugi was beginning to get fed up with this. He flipped on the television as Sogoroku ascended the stairs and rapped on the door.

"Yes?" came a slow voice from inside. It was just a bit too far on the calm side, signaling that Atemu was still attempting to keep it within his control.

"Is it safe for me to come in, or do you still need a bit more time alone?"

"No, I-I think it's safe for you. You're alone?"

"Yes."

"All right then."

Sogoroku entered the room quietly, closing the door behind him with a soft _snap._ Atemu was sitting up against the wall next to his bed with his eyes and mouth closed, breathing steadily through his nose much as he had before.

"Are you all right?"

The boy held up one finger and took a last deep breath before replying. "Yes. I think so. I'm so sorry, Jii-chan. I never lose control like that anymore..." He hung his head, face burning. "That was so stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, just when Yugi came in and said that..." He took another rattling breath and clamped his eyes shut for a few seconds, feeling spare emotion rise inside his chest. He held up his finger once more as he fought the shadows within him for nearly a minute before his expression calmed again.

Sogoroku sat beside his grandson on the bed and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Calm down. I know you didn't mean for anything to happen. Are you all right?"

"I'm... well, it still hurts, but I'm better than I was."

"How far up can you feel it?" Sogoroku dismayed when Atemu placed a shaking hand high on his chest, right under the collar bone. The boy's body began to convulse violently and he writhed about, shaking with the effort to control everything again as he felt the power rise up his neck, making him feel nauseous and sick. He clapped a hand over his mouth and vomited blackness into the air, which quickly disintegrated into nothing. Sogoroku rubbed the boy's stomach as he coughed dryly, exhausted from dealing with the shadows.

"Jii-chan... I think I should sleep downstairs tonight. If I'm still shedding this stuff, I don't want to end up hurting him. I mean, it gets out of control just when I see him..."

He was silenced by his grandfather. "Shh. Just relax. Calm down, it's all right. Yugi knows you don't mean it. Calm down." He pushed Atemu down on the bed with a forceful hand on the boy's chest that Atemu was to weak to fight against.

"But Jii-chan, it isn't even my room. It's Yugi's-"

"Don't worry." Sensing the boy's apprehension and rising feelings, he quickly ordered, "Take a few deep breaths."

Atemu closed his eyes and focused his mind on giving in to the cool, calming feeling of his exhaustion, not realizing that in doing so he caused shadows to completely blacken the room, flying about in masses.

"Atemu!"

He jerked up. "What, Jii-chan?" Then, seeing what his attempt to calm himself and possibly slip into sleep had done to his power, he sighed. "This means I can't go to sleep tonight, doesn't it?" Sogoroku nodded and Atemu propped himself up against the wall again, growling to himself. _It had to be the one night I really need the sleep.  
_

A breath of darkness rushed through the room then. Sogoroku sighed. "I know it's hard. But you have to stay up."

Suddenly Atemu panicked. "But what if I fall asleep, and end up hurting someone? I mean, I'm exhausted, how am I supposed to do this?" Already the boy's shoulders were beginning to sag and his eyelids were heavy. Sogoroku cringed and held the former pharaoh's hand.

"You're strong, Atemu. You can do this."

"O-okay," he replied, stifling a yawn. "What about Yugi?"

"You need to tell him," Sogoroku replied in barely a whisper.

"WHAT? NO!"

"Atemu..." the elder warned as the younger took a few slow breaths to steady himself.

"But Jii-chan, what if I lose control, like tonight? I... I could kill him easily like that."

"Are your feelings for her really this deep? Answer me truthfully, Atemu."

He blushed furiously and turned away. "Yes..." he mumbled. He expected his grandfather to tease him and make fun playfully, but no harsh words followed his confession. Instead Sogoroku merely heaved a long sigh. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only the intention reached Atemu. They sat in unbroken silence for a minute.

"What can I do, Jii-chan? I don't want to hurt Yugi, but I mean... I can't just stop liking her..." A brilliant flush crept through his cheeks and he felt began to cry, unable to keep it back.

"I know, Atemu. It's all right. You can't help it. But we are going to have to do something."

"What? How?"

"That's the part I don't know about. Think about what you want."

"Well... I want to ask Anzu out... but Yugi likes her and I really shouldn't be here anyway so..."

"Don't think like that. If you're here, Kami _and Ra _meant for you to be here."

"But still, I don't want to deny Yugi what he wants so badly-"

"Stop worrying about Yugi for a second. Picture Yugi as just another boy, who happens to be in a relationship with her that you envy. How would you handle that? How would you keep your shadow magic under control?"

Atemu was silent. He had no clue.

* * *

So? Fluffy? Sappy? Stinky? Downright horrible? I pray not... 

And I apologize for not updating sooner! But this was an unusually long one, and it took a long time to write and edit, so please wonderful readers, forgive me. I am not worthy.

Okay, person-without-a-name-of-any-sort... Electric Fire is that you? Inyhoo, I know, I torture poor 'Temu WAY too much... and he's gonna really appreciate that hug and cup of hot chocolate in a few chapters too! You know, I nearly had a spasm when you asked what the world would be without sick-fics! Yeah, Yugi's just a little ball of cute, adorable irresistible fluff when he's jealous! Let's all give poor Yugi a hug! .

I'm glad you like it, **norestar-angel**-Bows- My stuff is not worthy of you liking it!

**Black-Caracal,** that might just be why! I LUV little 'Temu! But I love Ryo more... maybe I just couldn't bring myself to torture Ryo, so I went for the second-best, eh?

Doesn't sappy stuff rock, **Bradybunch4529**? I love sap! I AM a sap! Oh, when Anzu comes into the m mix... duck and cover yourself with a shadow magic-proof blanket, I think... and take along some hot chocolate so you don't starve! .

**Yamitea 4eva,** he KNOWS he likes her, oh yes. He knows all too well! And when he sees Anzu next he won't just be uncomfortable, he'll be more likely to blow something up! Poor 'Temu... I'm so mean to him... -sniff sniff- But I must be strong! It's for the greater good in fanfiction!

THANKIES WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! NOW ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!


	3. Accidental Kiss

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still on my Christmas list.

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Atemu trudged home with Yugi, Ryo, Anzu, Jou, Shizuka, Honda, and Otogi the next Friday afternoon, shivering fiercely form the cold wind and the snow that had fallen continuously since late the night before. He sneezed as a flurry of snowflakes caught him in the face, in his opinion, seriously disrespecting his personal space. 

"Are you all right 'Temu? You don't look too good," Yugi noticed, looking up into his yami's face.

"I'm fine," the ex-pharaoh snapped, hugging his thin uniform jacket closer to himself.

"You don't look fine," said Ryo, also turning to inspect his friend. "You've been coughing all day."

"I'm FINE!" he shouted. Ryo and Yugi looked stunned. "I'm just tired, that's all."

Honda, hearing this discourse, withdrew his hand from deep in his pocket and thrust it to Atemu's forehead. He snorted.

"Guy says he's fine when he's burning up," he commented dryly as Atemu pushed his hand away.

"I'm fine!"

"No, you're not," Anzu said, joining the group of arguing teens. "Do you remember what you did in cooking today?"

"I blew up another toaster that I'll have to pay for, which makes... I think fourteen... this term anyway... burnt some pizza, then tripped on it... spilled some of that expensive soy milk stuff, and made a few eggs hatch... which really doesn't make any scientific sense at all-"

"No! What _else_ did you do? Specifically, whose gingerbread cookies did you ruin by suddenly deciding to sneeze all over them?"

"Oh... I told you I was sorry. It was an accident." He sounded hurt, and Anzu's face softened.

"Hey, that's all right. But the point is you're sick."

He sighed. "I'm not going to win this, am I?" he asked Yugi.

"Nope!" the shortest of them replied as Atemu sighed again.

"Hey, do all of you want to just come over to my house tonight?" Anzu asked. "We could like, watch tons and tons of movies, or play RPG's, and hey, we could make it a sleepover! There's no school tomorrow because of that voting thing!"

"I'll supply the food!" Jounouchi shouted.

"Not if I beat you to it!" Honda and Otogi countered at the same time. The three boys were soon engaged in an all-out fistfight. Atemu bet Yugi that Otogi would be the first to give in to logic, but Yugi bet on Honda. It turned out to be Jou. The two agreed that that was not logic.

"Okay guys, so can you all call me as soon as you get home with your answers?" Anzu asked as the group came to her house.

"Sure 'Anz!" Jou called. They continued on.

* * *

Five o'clock that Night: 

"Hi Anzu!" Yugi exclaimed as he and Atemu arrived at her house, each carrying a sleeping bag, pillow, and a backpack in which they had pajamas and a change of clothes, and Atemu had a bottle of cold medicine that Sogoroku had insisted he take along to take some before he went to bed.

"Hi Yugi! Hey Atemu! Come on in, you're the last ones! Jou and Honda are in the kitchen, Otogi's... somewhere, Ryo's in the living room setting up that Monster World RPG he's got, so we can play it later- MINUS the spirit of the ring, don't worry, Shizuka's either with him or in the kitchen, and my parents were kinda traumatized by all the noise, so they're up in their room- No scratch that, here's Mom! We were just talking about you, Mom!"

Mrs. Mazaki smiled warmly. "Hello, you two. How are you doing?" she asked as the boys removed their shoes on the front mat.

"Good, thanks," Yugi replied, standing up. Atemu couldn't answer, coughing from the brisk walk they'd taken to get there. Then Yugi had insisted they run the rest of the way to the Mazaki residence, and he still felt a bit dizzy from running so far.

"Are you all right there, Atemu?" Anzu's mother asked worriedly, seeing that the boy's face was flushed a bit.

"Just a cold," he muttered, bowing respectfully. "Gomen nasai."

"Hey, that's all right. I'm just going to the store for some more flour, Anzu; Jou and Honda have practically gone through it all already. How can two boys your age eat so much?"

Anzu laughed. "That's for Jou and Honda to know, and the rest of the world to find out. Dad's upstairs, right?"

"Yes, and he'll most likely be staying up there. Bye!"

"Bye Mom!" Anzu called as Mrs. Mazaki left. "Let's go!" she shouted enthusiastically. The two boys grinned.

"So what's the plan tonight?" Yugi asked excitedly, dumping his bags down in the living room with everyone else's.

"Well, we're going to make these cookies, then pizza and hot cocoa, and that'll be our dinner, then we were thinking about a horror movie of some sort, a food break, and then we're gonna play Monster World, then a funny movie, then truth or dare," she rattled off. "Then after that, we can just talk until we fall asleep!"

Atemu's head was already spinning. "Whoa."

"Yup!" They entered the kitchen, where Jou and Honda were checking on some gingerbread men in the oven.

"They're not going to have cooked in the two seconds since you checked them last, Jou," Anzu reminded the blond, muttering to herself about what sounded like, 'men and kitchens...'

"And what exactly do you have against men and kitchens?" asked Jou, who had obviously heard the last comment.

"I don't have anything against either of them, it's just that I fear for my life when the two are together."

"She's got a fair point there," Atemu agreed.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on our side!" Honda exclaimed as Atemu chuckled.

"Would you seriously allow me near a toaster?" the ancient pharaoh asked.

"No, I guess not..." Atemu laughed at his friend's comically uncharacteristic, contemplative expression as Otogi, Shizuka and Ryo entered the kitchen from the living room.

"Hello you two," Ryo greeted the two. "I missed your entrance."

"You sound too polite when you say that, Ryo. Loosten up a little," said Honda.

"And what exactly is wrong with my pattern of speech?" the white-haired boy asked defensively.

"Well... there's nothing _wrong_ with it-"

"Good. That's settled then."

Anzu laughed. "Come on guys, let's start on the pizza. Atemu..."

The ex-pharaoh laughed. "I'll stay away from all electric appliances, don't worry... I could help knead the dough, though," he offered.

Anzu flashed an appreciative grin as she got out the pizza dough she'd whipped up previously. "Okay, you know what to do, right? You sort of fold it like this, and work in your fingers this way..." she said as she placed the dough on a plate on the counter, gently kneading it with her hands. Atemu washed his hands in the kitchen sink, then carefully approached the dough. _You can do this, Atemu. It's just flour and water and eggs... Don't make yourself look stupid..._

"Can you show me one more time?" he asked tentatively.

"Sure. Here." Anzu showed him how to hold it, and how to make it equal out into a circle. He copied her, their sides brushing slightly as he stood more directly before the counter. He missed Anzu's deep blush.

"Is this right?"

"Yup, that's it! So just keep doing it like that until it's nice and round, and then we'll top it. I'll have Ryo and Shizuka each do one too... Are you all right? You're sure you can handle it...?"

"Yes."

"Okay then-" She turned to leave.

"Anzu?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

She smiled warmly as she turned back to face him, her deep cocoa tresses whispering to her eyes in time with the movement of her slender form. The glimmer from the holiday lights strung in the room reflected in her shining cerulean orbs, whose mere glance could flip Atemu's stomach as with a spatula and cause dizzying sensations to sprint through his head, making him feel lightheaded.

Anzu didn't understand it. She turned and smiled, and all she could see was a ruby-hued sea of passion and hope, and found herself lost in his eyes. She felt bubbles of anxiety rise in her chest as their contact didn't break. _Hey... his eyes are red and mine are blue... so together they would make purple... Isn't purple the color of royalty?_

"Anzu?" Anzu jerked around as Yugi entered the room. She missed the warm flush that invaded Atemu's cheeks when Yugi came in.

"Yeah Yugi?"

"Do you know where Jou went?"

"No, I thought he was in here..." Anzu looked around the kitchen. Atemu, Ryo and Shizuka were busy kneading the dough for three big pizzas, Otogi was peeking in on the gingerbread men in the oven, and Honda was picking a fight with his dice-boy companion.

"That's okay. He's gotta be around here somewhere, right?" Yugi moved on to another room, when- **_BOOM!_**

"Ah!" Somehow, the toaster had exploded. All heads turned to Atemu.

"What did you do?" Otogi asked.

"I just walked past it!" the targeted ex-pharaoh defended himself, throwing his arms in the air.

"And it just randomly decided to explode? Come on man, you musta done SOMETHING to it," came Jou's voice as he and Yugi came into the room.

_**BOOM!**_

No one knew why it happened, no one knew how it happened, but the next second Atemu was covered from head to toe in the chocolate powder that Jou was getting out to begin making his famous hot cocoa.

"Atemu!"

"I didn't do it! I'm just standing here- _Achoo!"_ he sneezed, and coughed weakly. Suddenly he looked very pale.

"Whoa, 'Temu!" Jou exclaimed as the boy continued to cough.

"Here, come on," said Anzu. She gently led him into the bathroom and wet a facecloth, wiping his face off. He still coughed.

"Anzu... I have no idea what happened back there. The stuff just blew up, I didn't mean for it to-"

"That's all right," she soothed, seeing the panicked expression on his face. "Don't worry 'Temu, it's all right... Geez, you really don't look good. You're all pale," she noted as she finished wiping his face free of the cocoa powder. There was till a little around his lips, and she leaned forward and kissed them, removing the last of the chocolate.

"Anzu...?"

"Oh my gosh, did I just- I mean... I didn't mean to do that-"

"It's all right Anzu. We all do things on impulse that we don't mean to. You're a girl, you see chocolate on a boy's lips... and you've been craving chocolate all day, haven't you?"

"How did you know?" she asked, embarrassed and stunned.

"I can... I can tell things like that about people. It scares little Yugi very much."

She laughed. "So... you're not offended? That was a mistake, I swear-"

"Anzu."

"Mmh?"

"I would never take offense in anything you say."

He would be haunted for weeks by the kiss that was never meant to be.

* * *

Ooh, he's in LURVE, eh? He didn't mind that there kiss, y'all know that? Lil sneak... and to think I made him that way... oh well. That tells y'all somethin' 'bout me then, doesn't it! 

I'm flattered **CommomKnowledge**. And it'll get more interesting with the Anzu interaction later. That kiss was on impulse, but later on... all I'm saying. But stay tuned, more to come!

Glad you like it **AREZAL,** and Kami is the Japanese word for God.

**Queen Insanity,** obviously he needs to learn a bit MORE control now, eh? After that little accident with the chocolate, he's gonna need a lot more than deep breaths to keep him calm! I didn't actually mean for that chapter to be funny, but I'm glad you thought so! Whatever works, ne?

Thanks, **Black-Caracal**!

**Ninqe,** Atemu and his swarming masses of shadow magic it is! And more to come! Angst and fluff all the way! I want to hug him too, but he'd probably get mad at me for all I've done to him... which I do NOT want... cuz he's just gonna get more and more mad after that accidental kiss... And thanks for dubbing me worthy-bows- I live to make my readers happy! Your wish is my command! (To a certain extent. If you ask me to do drugs, don't be surprised if you suddenly get a few tons of blackmail... ;))


	4. Kiss and Conflict

**Disclamer**: Still on my Christmas list.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the sleepover at Anzu's house, and Atemu's feelings had only grown darker and harder to control. He'd gotten over his cold, and come down with the flu in return. It was a week before Christmas Eve, and the ex-pharaoh's sudden sickness was showing no signs of going away, leaving him utterly depressed. 

Every night he stayed up well past midnight until he cried himself to the sleep he was scared to experience, because he was afraid he'd wake up one morning to find that he'd killed Yugi accidentally.

He shivered as an icy breath of wind hit his back, and turned from his seat on the couch towards the direction of the uninvited disturbance in his comfortable, relaxing silence, the side door. Yugi quickly closed it seeing his yami shivering, having just come in from school.

"Hey 'Temu."

"Hello, Yugi. How are you?" he asked hoarsely.

"Um... I'm all right. I'm just wondering if maybe I need to ask YOU the same question."

"What do you mean, aibou?"

Yugi set down his backpack and walked over to where Atemu lay on the couch. He sat down on the floor and looked deeply up into the older boy's eyes.

"Atemu, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I don't think so, 'Temu. You look horrible, your voice is terrible, and you don't eat anymore."

"I'm just sick. It'll go away in... well, a while."

"No, it's different. You never talk, you haven't dueled in... weeks, you don't hum that Egyptian song-thing to yourself anymore, you haven't been getting straight A's in school like you usually do, and... you never smile. I don't like it, and I know something's wrong."

Atemu coughed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "It's just the flu. Were you in a particularly good mood the last time_ you_ had the flu?"

"No, but-"

"I'm fine, Yugi."

"NO YOU'RE NOT, AND YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN TO ME! ALL YOU DO NOW IS MOPE AROUND, DOING NOTHING EXCEPT WHAT YOU'RE TOLD TO DO, LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE A LIFE! YOU NEVER TAKE ANY RISKS ANYMORE, YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING EXCITING, YOU DON'T BREAK ANY RULES, AND I CAN'T EVEN GET YOU TO DUEL WITH ME! IT'S LIKE YOU'RE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON, AND YOU'RE MAKING ME MAD! ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE THIS RULE-ABIDING, QUIET... BORING PERSON! THAT'S NOT 'FINE,' ATEMU, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG! I JUST WANT TO HELP, AND YOU'RE INSISTING THAT YOU'RE FINE! DO YOU KNOW HOW STUPID THAT IS? EVERYONE'S WORRIED ABOUT YOU ATEMU, ESPECIALLY... especially all the guys. You're avoiding everyone now. You never want to do anything fun anymore." Tears welled in the boy's eyes as Atemu stared in disbelief.

"Yugi-"

"I don't want to talk to you. Anzu's right. You DON'T love anything anymore." He grabbed his backpack from the floor and ran up the stairs. A few seconds later the sound of a slamming door could be heard and Atemu buried his face in his hands and cried, not able to hold it back any longer. He didn't hear anyone enter the room, so a light tap on his shoulder made him jump a mile from the couch in fright. He jerked around to get lost in deep blue orbs.

"Atemu... what's wrong?"

"Anzu, I... how long have you been in here. How much of that..."

The brunette sat on the edge of the couch and held one of his hands.

"Your hand is freezing."

"..." Atemu tried not to cry, but he couldn't help it. More tears spilled from his bright ruby eyes as he looked up at the girl. He turned away from her, face pressed against the back of the couch as his body shook with quiet sobs. He felt a cool touch on his cheek as his face was slowly turned around, the two teens' eyes meeting.

"Atemu... what happened to you?"

"What do you-"

"This is not you. What happened? How come you've been avoiding the whole gang as much as you can lately? Did anyone say anything to hurt you-"

"No. It's... it's not that... You have no idea-"

"Then tell me. I want to know. I want to help. Atemu... I hate looking at you like this... You're usually the most outgoing of all of us, and now... you're _this_. What's wrong?"

"I- I can't tell you." Something in his throat closed off, not allowing any sounds except a fresh wave of uncontrollable sobs to escape the bounds of his mouth.

Anzu took both of his tan hands in hers and looked closely into his eyes. "Could you show me? I just want to understand why you've been acting like this."

He couldn't look away. She had him trapped. He tried to control an urge he had, but it was no use. She'd told him to show her, and he couldn't hold back even a speck of emotion any longer. It hurt him too much. His actions were out of his control as he softly kissed the girl on her lips and pulled away slowly, fighting to regain discipline over his body.

Anzu's face burned as he pulled away softly and fell back on the couch. Realizing what had just happened, she gasped.

"Atemu... Did you mean that?"

His lip quivered and his crimson eyes brimmed with salty water as he nodded silently. Brushing violently at the offending tears, he looked up into her eyes. "I- I'm sorry if I offended you with that, Anzu. I just... I haven't been doing things with everyone because... I really do like you, Anzu, and you see, I know Yugi does too, and I just didn't want to hurt Yugi by asking you out before he did, even if you said no... I've had to keep my shadow magic from releasing my emotions in the form of hungry darkness, and it's just thoroughly exhausting... I'm so sorry I've hurt all of you. Funny, I was trying NOT to hurt you, but it ends up being that I did, just in a different way..." He sniffed and swiped at his nose with the back of a hand, and Anzu handed him a tissue from the box on the coffee table.

"Atemu... I can't believe it. Do you really... do you actually like me so much that it hurt you in that way?"

He nodded, cheeks tomato red as more previously contained tears fell in torrents from his eyes, leaving soaking trails down his face in their wake.

"Shh... don't cry. Please don't cry..." She hugged him tightly as he continued to whimper softly, planting a light kiss on his cheek. He suddenly pulled away from her embrace, eyes wide. He brushed over the spot tenderly with a finger as Anzu blushed.

"Was that-"

"Atemu... even if Yugi had asked me before you, I... I wouldn't have said yes. I couldn't have. There's only one I would agree to."

Atemu felt his heart soar as she leaned forward to hug him again, but he suddenly pushed her away. "Anzu, I don't want to get you sick. That would not be a very fun Christmas."

"Well if you have to suffer through the best season of the year, so will I. The heck with it."

He smiled. "Are.. are you sure? Once I kiss you, you're subject to all manner of disgusting flu germs that I really don't want to give you... and if you let me kiss you I doubt I'll be able to help but hug you which will probably make me cough, resulting in you getting sprayed by-"

"I think I can handle it."

He propped himself up uncomfortably as they inched closer to one another. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he did the same, hugging her carefully and delicately around the middle. Just as their lips were about to meet, a **_WHAM_** could be heard from the direction of the door leading into the kitchen. Atemu sneezed as the two hurriedly detached themselves from each other's embrace in order to see what the noise was.

"That was lucky. I would've sneezed on you... Yugi... Oh no." Standing in the doorway was none other than Yugi. The crash had been the door as he slammed it shut behind him.

"A-Atemu? Anzu? W-What were the two of you..."

"Yugi, I can explain-"

"No!" With that the short boy turned tail and ran back up the stairs to his room, for the second time that day. Atemu rubbed his temples as a headache from the loud noise hit him full-force, causing him to see stars. He closed his eyes for a brief moment in a meditative state. The two sat in silence for a few minutes until heavy footsteps could be heard descending the stairs of the game shop and Sogoroku Mutou entered the living room.

"Is what Yugi just told me true?" he asked shortly, vicious violet eyes penetrating his grandson's even harsher crimson.

"What did Yugi tell you?" Atemu asked.

"He told me he'd come downstairs to meet Anzu because she was supposed to come over to start on a project with him and that he found the two of you... sharing a bit of a special moment. Is that true?"

Atemu's voice broke with tears as he answered. "Yes Jii-chan."

Anzu also began to cry, Atemu reaching up and rubbing her back soothingly from his lying-down position. "Anzu, don't cry. It's my fault."

"It is no one's fault," said Sogoroku firmly, coming around the brown couch to face his grandson, kneeling down and putting both hands on the boy's shoulders. He held the once-pharaoh's cardinal-hued gaze. "You need to talk to him about this. I don't blame you for anything, but Yugi... you need to talk to him. To explain. He's hurt, Atemu."

The boy sighed and lifted himself up weakly from the couch, wobbling a bit as he got used to the feeling of walking. "Is he in our room, or yours?"

"Yours, I believe."

Atemu shivered and walked through the kitchen and up the stairs, coming to a stop before the door to the two spiky-haired boys' room. He knocked softly. "Yugi."

"What do you want?"

"I only want to talk to you."

"You were perfectly fine with forcing me from the room when you were having trouble controlling your magic."

"That's what I want to explain to you. Please listen to me, Yugi-"

"Why should I?"

"Because... Please, will you just let me in?" He didn't need to be 'let' in and they each knew it.

"Fine."

Atemu nudged the door open, entering the room and closing the door tightly again. He didn't particularly wish for this conversation to be overheard. Yugi was lying stomach-down on his bed, face in his hands.

"Yugi, I-"

"Why did you do that, mou hitori no boku?"

Atemu's heart tore at the clever usage of his old nickname. "Yugi, I did that because... I did that because I... I love her."

"Thanks for that, friendly friend." Atemu was shocked. He'd never seen Yugi act this way before. It angered him.

"I didn't exactly have any control over it, Yugi-"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CONTROL TO SAY, 'GEE, AM I HURTING ANYONE BY DOING THIS?'"

"AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DIDN'T! YOU HAVE NO IDEA-"

"I HAVE A GOOD ENOUGH IDEA TO KNOW THAT YOU BACKSTABBED ME WITHOUT EVEN A THOUGHT! I LOVED YOU AND TRUSTED YOU WITH THAT SECRET, ATEMU, AND THEN YOU WENT AND USED IT AGAINST ME! SOME FRIEND AND MENTOR YOU ARE!"

"I TOLD YOU, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENED!"

"AN ALMIGHTY PHARAOH CAN'T EVEN CONTROL KISSING THE GIRL HIS BEST FRIEND LIKES?"

For a second silence thickened the air as Atemu processed what his beloved aibou had just said.

"There are some things even a pharaoh can't control, Yugi. But I'm shocked. I thought you were able to think of me as more than just a master of shadow magic and a boy king. I thought you trusted me as a friend, a regular teenager. I am a regular teenager, Yugi. I can't believe you overlooked the fact that maybe, just maybe, I could be going through the same things as you are. Technically I'm only a matter of months older. I just can't believe it." He turned sharply and left.

* * *

Yikes. I really need to cut down on the angst a little. 

You flatter me, **Yamitea 4eva!**! And if you liked the kiss in the last chapter... I'll bet you liked this one even more, eh? I am a sap, completely and totally. I know, I know! You reviewers can really make an authoress feel GUILTY, ya know that? I'm starting to not wanna write for guilt of picking on poor 'Temu... um... feh. Thanks for the support!

**norestar-angel**, I'm glad you like it! Wadda ya think of this one? Enough fluff or too much angst and sap? I tinkie someone's in luv too... ;)

**SpiritPuppyLuvrs**, I'm glad you think it's cute! This one was a bit too angsty to be cute, but the story in general was designed to be. Will I be able to chat with you online any time soon?

I'm so happy you like 'em, **Ksaturn**! I feel loved! Just one thing: Which ending did you think was 'awesome'? I haven't finished any yet.

**Ninqe**, was the quote that freaked you out the one where he says that they're not sure how easily Atemu could kill someone if he was really angry? Cuz that one freaked a few of my friends out... hehe. Yes, all toasters and packages of cocoa and all pizza sauce and... too many more things to name shall fear him forever and always, for all eternity! I have no shame, causing him so much pain... I'm gonna go cry in a corner because of guilt now. Call me when you want the next update. And good job on fouling out of that game. ;P

Oh yes **Black-Caracal**, 'accidental'... to a -ahem- certain extent...


	5. Hospital Regular

**Disclaimer**: The rights to Yu-Gi-Oh WILL be under my Christmas tree! It's... possible... I should give it up...

o0O0o

Dinner at the Mutou residence that night was a very quiet meal. Atemu sipped at tiny spoonfuls of chicken noodle soup and Yugi and Sogoroku were having actual chicken. Atemu was starting to feel very sick.

"J-Jii-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Um... do you mind if I don't finish this... it's making me feel sick... I feel like I'm going to throw up..."

"Then by all means, stop eating!" Yugi snapped. "Anzu would probably just come and KISS the barf off your lips anyways, so you have nothing to worry about! Maybe you should make yourself sick, so she does!"

"Stop it, Yugi." Atemu growled through gritted teeth, his tan knuckles nearly white as his grip tightened on his soup spoon.

"Why? You've been mean enough to me!"

"I said, stop it!"

"What, is wittle baby 'Temu scared that now his wittle girly friend won't be there to save him?"

"You happen to LIKE that 'wittle girly friend,' IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN!"

"SO IF YOU KNEW I LIKED HER, THEN WHY DID YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND KISS HER?"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO YOU, YUGI? THE SITUATION WAS OUT OF MY RA-DARNED CONTROL! IT'S NOT LIKE I JUST SAID, 'OH, YUGI LIKES THIS GIRL, I'LL KISS HER TO MAKE HIM FEEL BAD!' WHAT DO YOU THINK, YUGI?"

"I THINK YOU'RE A CHEATER AND A LIAR, AND YOU COULD'VE JUST KEPT AWAY FROM HER IF YOU REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO HURT ME, LIKE YOU SAY!"

"I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, YUGI! WHAT WILL IT RA-DARNED TAKE TO GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD?"

"YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL IT THEN!"

"WELL I COULDN'T! I'M HUMAN, YUGI! AND YOU WERE WONDERING WHY I'VE BEEN SO UNHAPPY LATELY, WELL THERE'S YOUR REASON! I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH EVERY DAY WITHOUT BLOWING YOU UP BECAUSE I WAS SO ANGRY AT YOU! IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP MY SHADOW MAGIC OFF OF YOU! SOME NIGHTS I COULDN'T EVEN SLEEP, AND THEN IT WAS EVEN HARDER TO CONTROL IN THE MORNING! SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, IF YOU WANT TO SAY I DON'T LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD, GO AHEAD!"

He jumped up from his place at the table and ran to the bathroom, coming from which the sounds of someone being violently sick could be heard. Yugi cringed and made a disgusted face.

"Yugi Mutou, do you have any idea what you've done to him?"

"What I'VE done to HIM, Jii-chan?"

"Yugi, he loves her. And think about this: She was part of that kiss. He knows that her feelings for him are the same as his are for her. He couldn't help it, Yugi. He could have asked her to date him right there, and she probably would've said yes. He didn't though. Can you figure out why?"

"B-Because... he didn't... he didn't want to hurt me?" Yugi asked, tears welling in his eyes.

"That's right. He didn't want to hurt you, so he instead took on more pain than either of us can imagine."

Yugi gasped. "Oh my gosh... I didn't think about it like that..."

"I think you owe someone an apology, Yugi."

"I- I didn't realize... oh my gosh..."

Suddenly a huge crash could be heard from the direction of the bathroom.

"What was that?" Sogoroku shouted, his voice tight with panic. "What made that noise?"

They heard a cry come from the bathroom where Atemu was currently emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Yugi darted for the door and whipped it open. He gasped.

"J-Jii-chan?"

"What happened?" the old man asked, coming up behind Yugi. He nearly had a heart attack.

Atemu lay sprawled out on the bathroom floor, blood trickling from a gash in his stomach. But the blood wasn't red. It was black. Yugi watched as his yami's body slowly became engulfed in the gooey, suffocating blackness.

"What do we do?"

"We get him to a hospital, that's what we do! Call an ambulance, Yugi!"

Yugi dashed to the phone, heart pounding. _Oh my Kami, what have I done to him?_

o0O0o

_Where am I..._

_Everything's... so... white..._

_It's like... a hospital... or something like... that..._

_My stomach... It hurts..._

o0O0o

Atemu rolled over in his hospital bed and groaned.

"He's alive!"

"We can see that, dumbo."

"Lay off."

"Now Jou, Honda, calm down," Sogoroku said softly. He walked over to Atemu's bed and touched the boy's shoulder carefully.

"Atemu?"

"J-Jii-chan..."

"How are you?"

"I... I feel... ah... my stomach hurts..." He moaned quietly and tossed about in a spasm-like fit, unable to control his shivering.

"Oh my Ra." Sogoroku's eyebrows knitted together in worry as everyone in the small hospital room watched him. 'Everyone' was Yugi, Anzu, Jou, Honda, Otogi, Shizuka, Ryo, Mai, and Sogoroku himself.

Atemu cried out as pain shot through his head. He tried to move it, but he was in a rat race against his body; it only made his head hurt more. He whimpered weakly as Sogoroku pressed a hand to his forehead.

"What's da diagnosis, doc?" Jou asked Sogoroku, coming forward and putting a hand over one of Atemu's.

"He's burning up. Badly. Could one of you get a nurse or a doctor of some kind? They told us to notify them once he woke."

Jou, Honda and Otogi left the room as one, bumped heads on their way out the door, muttered 'sorry,' as one, and kept going, leaving Sogoroku, Yugi, Anzu, Ryo, Shizuka and Mai left in the room. Suddenly Anzu burst into sobs, hiding her face in her hands. Shizuka hugged her tightly.

"Anzu... it's going to be all right... Don't worry... If he could kill every evil shadow monster in the world, he can get through this."

Anzu just kept sobbing as Sogoroku supported Atemu's head over a large plastic bowl; the boy had begun to throw up violently and relentlessly.

"Oh Atemu, please be all right," the brunette whispered, "Please be all right." Shizuka hugged her tighter.

Jou, Honda and Otogi came back with a nurse a minute later, and Atemu was still retching. His cheeks were their usual tan, mixed with a bright flush, mixed with death grey. The doctor gasped upon seeing this and rushed over to the once-pharaoh's bedside.

"How long has he been doing this?" he asked worriedly, whipping out a clipboard full of papers.

"At least two minutes," Sogoroku replied worriedly. Atemu continued to retch, though there was nothing more shooting into the bowl. He grabbed his stomach and cried out sharply as his body went into a spasm, his breaths coming in the form of wheezing in between each horrible wave of shuddering. The doctor gaped, frozen in fear, as Atemu once again started to throw up what was thought to be the now-nonexistent contents of his stomach.

"Oh my Kami. I have no idea-"

"Well you'd bettuh get an idea!" Jou hissed, grabbing the doctor by the lapels of his coat and lifting him up "Dat's my friend pukin' like that, and it's your job to make him bettuh!"

"Katsuya Jounouchi!"

"Oh... sorry Mr. Mutou... heh... um... sorry Mr. Doctor... uh... I'm just... sorry." He set the man down. "But, do ya know how to fix it?"

"I'm not sure." He turned to Sogoroku. "So you said he had the flu before he passed out, with a gash in his stomach. Anything else?"

"Well... there was the factor of a bit of heavy emotional stress... a lot really..." He motioned towards the hall and the doctor followed. They came back in a minute later, a grim expression on the doctor's face.

"So? Wadda ya gonna do to him? How are ya gonna fix him?" Jou pressed.

"I'm going to take his temperature and try to get it down, and get him hooked up to an IV. We'll see how he does with that, and then I'll let you know if we need to do anything more."

"You kids should leave," Sogoroku commented, and the group obeyed. It was nearly ten at night. The man prodded Yugi in the back as Anzu turned to leave; the two had discussed the matter and Yugi had a plan. It hurt him, but he knew he had to do it.

"Wait! Anzu!" The brunette turned as Yugi ran up to her.

"Anzu, can I... Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." The two walked down into a lesser-used passage of the wing of the hospital they were in.

"Anzu, you know the other day, when I walked into the living and I got all mad at you two, because you were... well, you know..."

"Yes?" She looked sad. The light indigo orbs that were her eyes gleamed brightly in the hall light. _Kami, she's so beautiful..._

"Well um, listen, I- Well, I mean... I'm sorry. The thing is, I was going to... well, I was going to..."

"Ask me out?" she supplied.

He nodded. "Yeah... but... you like Atemu, right?"

"Oh Yugi, I'm really sorry, but... I couldn't think of you as anything other than a best friend. I'm really sorry." Her eyes brimmed over. "I didn't mean to kiss him, but I-"

"It's okay, Anzu. I understand. Just... do one thing for me."

"Sure... what?"

"Say 'yes' when he asks you out."

She cracked a smile. "I will."

But suddenly the two became silent as a doctor and a nurse strode past where they were walking. Suddenly, the conversation the two medics were having seemed very interesting.

"Yes, that's THE Atemu Mutou. THE ONE AND ONLY Atemu Mutou, yes."

"Doctor, do you have any clue at all as to what he has? He'd started to throw up again just as I left."

"Apparently it started out as a cold, then a flu, and some emotional weight hasn't helped either."

"What kind, doctor?"

"Apparently his brother... twin... I swear I heard something like 'hikari' or something... but anyway, apparently they liked the same girl, but the girl liked Atemu, so the other kid gave him a right proper pain in the butt about it...."

Anzu saw Yugi whimper next to her. She took him firmly by the hand and led him away.

"Yugi."

He looked up to her face, eyes filled to bursting with tears. "What?"

"It's all right. Atemu knows you didn't mean it."

"I know..."

Anzu stooped down and hugged him tightly. "Come on. Let's get you back to Atemu and your Jii-chan."

He didn't object as she practically dragged him back into Atemu's room. Sogoroku, seated on the edge of the boy's bed, put a finger to his lips as the two teens entered, motioning towards the boy on the bed. Atemu was finally asleep, though his breathing was none too steady.

"Did everything go all right?" he asked Yugi. When his grandson nodded, he took the boy by the hand. "Come on, you two. Anzu, I told your parents Yugi and I would walk you home; it's dangerous to be outside alone."

She nodded and stood beside Atemu's bed for a minute. Taking hold of his icy hand, she played with his fingers until they warmed up under her touch. "Goodnight 'Temu," she whispered, and followed Yugi and Sogoroku out the door into the hall, and then out into the cold outside. It only saddened her more to know that the elements seemed to work in parallel to Atemu's condition as it started to snow, great grey flakes making their walk to Anzu's house, and then for Yugi and Sogoroku back to the game shop, more freezing.

When the short boy and his grandfather finally made it home, the snowstorm had turned into a full-force blizzard. The two hurried inside, Yugi slamming the door shut behind them, shivering. He sifted through various pieces of mail which he had picked up from the mailbox as they passed the front door. One small card in particular caught his eye.

"Jii-chan, can I go to this?" he asked, handing the card to his grandfather. Sogoroku read it aloud.

"All in Domino are cordially invited to a Christmas Eve dinner and dance, starting five o' clock Christmas Eve and lasting until midnight at Kaiba Corporation Festivity Hall. Fancy dress. All ages welcome." He turned to Yugi. "Sure."

"Thanks... yikes, that's only in a few days!"

The old man smiled. "You'll have to still wear that suit though; I don't think they make tuxes in your size."

o0O0o

Okay... I just felt in the mood to write, so I threw together a random piece of... something... Could y'all tell?

**Review Replies**:

Nah, **SpiritPuppyLuvrs**, I think they got back together pretty well, considering. I want to get this one done by Christmas, it's a quickie. It'll be finished in one or two, POSSIBLY three more chapters but it shouldn't be more than that. Yes, mucho MUCHO angsty! But who doesn't like Atemu when he's angsty? Me, I think it makes him all the more glompable... hehe...

Thanks a bunch, and Happy Holidays to you too, **CommonKnowledge**.

Of course it ends good, **C.A.M.E.O.**! It's a romance written by me! It MUST end good! What do you think I'd do, kill them off or something... funny, I'm doing that in another one... hehe... -ducks from blows- Okay! Okay! I get it, I shouldn't kill'em off! Gotcha!

It was very brutal, wasn't it, **Ninqe**? I am evil and sadistic, ne? Hehe... it's all in the wrist... -sees you seeing me brandishing flamethrower, hides flamethrower behind back and whistles- Oh, hello! How are you today? Didn't see you there, hehe... Oh yeah, those episodes where he goes all E-V-I-L! Actually, it didn't come from that, I just knew he had shadow magic and it's a pretty clear thing in the series how dangerous his emotions could be(Look at what happened when he played the seal of Oriekalcos!), so I just... took it to my sadistic, twisted, slightly insane level! I'm glad you liked the kiss scene! Thanks!

Nah, I meant 'Temu, **norestar-angel**. But f you're so quick to jump to the defense... hmm...

Glad you liked it, **AREZAL**!

Whoa, I got a ton of reviews again! -huggles wonderful reviewers- Thankies so much! See y'all next chappie! -BlackCharmgirl


	6. Kiss on Ice

**Disclaimer**: Still on my Christmas list.

LATER EDIT. I used to have the lyrics of Tokyo Girl interspersed within this text, and it fit really nicely, but then had to go and damn outlaw songfics. This chapter now officially has half the effect it once did, if not less than that. And that, my friend, sucks.

* * *

Atemu woke up in the afternoon and yawned, taking in his surroundings. He was back home. On the couch, but home. Christmas had passed four days ago, and Yugi had slowly but surely gotten over Anzu, also managing to get a date to the Kaiba Corporation Christmas Eve dance in the form of Rebecca Hawkins. 

"Atemu?" he heard a light voice ask. He turned to see Yugi staring down at him from over the other side of the couch.

"Hi Yugi. What time is it?"

The small boy came around the couch and sat down in a chair. "About three-fifteen."

Atemu groaned and stretched uncomfortably. His stomach was still sore from what the people at the hospital had done to it by infecting it with their hospital food, and from the now-wearing-off flu.

"Anzu was over earlier studying with me. She said to call her if you felt all right when you woke up. Maybe you should use the opportunity to ask her out," he suggested, offering a weak smile as the older boy coughed in understandable shock.

"All right there 'Temu?" Sogoroku asked, coming into the living room.

"Yeah, Yugi just... never mind."

"Oh, I don't know if Yugi told you or not, but Anzu was just over a while ago and she asked if you'd give her a call when you woke up. You know, I think this would be a good opportunity to ask her out," Sogoroku stated, leaving the room.

"..." Now Atemu was more than appropriately freaked out.

_Ding! Dong!_

"I'll get it," Yugi said, getting up and answering the side door. He opened it and looked up into bright blue eyes.

"Hey, Yugi," Anzu greeted him.

"Hi! Back so soon? I haven't seen you in like... five minutes!"

"No, I forgot my purse, I think."

"Oh yeah, it's on the kitchen table. And so are your schoolbooks."

"Sorry. I was a little... you know... out of it... You know how you have those zone-out days sometimes?"

He smiled his understanding. "Nah, that's fine. Come on in." She followed him in and removed her shoes.

"Hi Anzu," Atemu greeted her from the couch.

"Hey, you're up! How are you?"

"Better than I was, I suppose. I haven't got a fever or anything anymore, I'm just tired. But personally, I'd like to go outside. I haven't been since before Christmas and I feel fine really, it's Jii-chan that's against it."

"Have you ever gone ice skating?"

"Ice skating? Where you put those shoes with metal on your feet and slide over ice?"

"That would be it."

"No, I haven't."

"Would you like to try it? I could show you. And your Jii-chan would let you, I've already asked him. He said he knew you'd say yes, just to wait until you woke up."

"That would be cool."

"So... when?"

"Whenever you'd like."

"How about... we could go now, if you wanted. There's this great place near the center of town. Mai told me about it. They've got music and a food stand and everything."

"Sure."

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later: 

Anzu had already tied the laces of her white figure skates and was helping poor Atemu with his.

"Here, like this, see? The string crosses like this... you tie it tight... and then you're done! You're ready!"

Atemu tried to stand up on a pair of rented hockey skates, but immediately fell over backwards into a bank of snow next to the skating pond. Music blasted from outdoor speakers nearby as many people glided merrily along in a circle, some showing off more advanced moves in the center of the pond.

Anzu laughed and stooped down to help the Atemu up, holding his hands tightly. "You'll get it."

He smiled. "It's a good thing snow is soft."

"But the ice won't be so kind. Come on."

She led him onto the frozen pond. It was brisk out, but not too cold. She was in stylish beige corduroy bell-bottomed pants and a fluffy white jacket, light tan gloves on her hands and a white hat pulled over her ears. Atemu was in dark jeans and a black jacket, with black gloves. They looked like total opposites, yet fit together perfectly.

"Okay, so what you do is just push with your feet, but don't give it too much force or you'll end up flat on your stomach and run over by someone else. Try it."

Atemu gulped and gave a small push on one of his skates, desperately clinging to Anzu's hand.

"That's good. Okay, just keep doing that."

He did so, and he was happy when they began to gain speed.

"Wow, that's good. I'm going to let go of your hand now, and just keep doing that." She let go but stayed by his side, though she soon realized that it was unnecessary. He wasn't tripping at all, rather gliding along as smoothly as if he's been skating since age two. He, apparently, didn't know this, so he turned around sharply and started skating backwards, skates tracing curved lines in the ice as he searched for Anzu's eyes.

"Am I doing it the right way?" he asked worriedly, checking over his shoulder to make sure he back-skated the curve of the pond without falling into the snowbank.

"..."

"Anzu? Am I doing all right?"

"Uh... Are you SURE you've never done this before?"

"Yes. How could I? It never got anywhere near this cold in Egypt."

She smiled. "You're good."

"Thanks. This feels so cool."

"Doesn't it?" _I have absolutely no idea how he got so good... oh well. I'll just 'embrace the moment' then..._

The song blasting on the outdoor speakers changed to a more upbeat one. Cheers came from the skaters. They liked the tempo, and soon everyone had paced their strides to match it.

_Tokyo girl, Tokyo girl...  
_

"Oh, I love this one!" Anzu exclaimed. "Let's dance to it, come on!"

He was puzzled. "How?"

"Come on, you're amazing on ice. You just jumped up and spun around, and landed perfectly. You can dance too."

"But it's ice."

"Then... let's ice-dance to it. I know you can do it. Come on." She took his hand.

"What do I do?"

"Whatever feels natural. Just think of how you'd dance to this song, and put it under your feet," she murmured, and closed her eyes.

"Uh... don't you want to open your eyes?"

"No. You lead."

He did.

_More of Tokyo Girl.  
_

He smiled and took her left hand in his left and her right hand in his right and guided her into a position next to him, their arms forming a crisscross pattern. His feet and heart raced as one as they took the curve around the edge of the pond at a flying speed. She now opened her eyes.

"Wow... you're good. I didn't think of that one."

"What did you have in mind?"

_More of Tokyo Girl.  
_

He thought about how Anzu compared to the song. '_Language is so hard to learn'... hmm... I wonder if maybe I can talk to her through dancing... If it were a language, she'd be fluent..._

His feet traced a neat pattern underneath his body as he brought Anzu closer to himself. She smiled at his careful touch and wrapped her arms around his neck. He turned quickly and began to skate backwards, lost in her eyes. He was only half conscious of the world around him.

_More of Tokyo Girl._

Thoughts spun around in Atemu's head faster than the spiral he had led the girl into. They swirled around at light speed, Anzu trusting him not to get anyone killed as he held her lightly around the middle. _She really is no 'one you'll ever know'..._ _she's amazing..._

_More of Tokyo Girl._

"You are," he murmured aloud, closing his eyes for a brief moment and allowing the world to swallow him up, putting complete trust to his feet._  
_

"What, are you comparing me to the song or something?" she asked playfully.

"I am comparing you to the nonexistent girl in the song. She might as well be you. And that's a compliment."

"Thanks..."

_More of Tokyo Girl.  
_

Now they were so close he could feel her soft breath on his cheek. _'Destiny,' eh? Worth a shot... I should know all about destiny... I don't know if this is written in a stone somewhere, but-_

_Ending of Tokyo Girl._

He kissed her softly as the music ended and they finally came out of spiraling. A soft smile played around her lips as she put pressure on one of her skates and they swerved off the pond and into a snowbank. When he finally broke away, she opened her eyes and locked her cerulean gaze into his crimson.

"I dearly hope your flu germs are all gone, or else I expect you to hold up my hair when I start to barf."

**The End**

* * *

So there you have it, folks. Hope you all liked it! 

**ShadowXAngel**, I did continue... with the ending, lol. Hope you liked it and thanx for the review!

Thanks, **Macduff's Mistress**!

**SpiritPuppyLuvrs**, nothing much happened at the Christmas party. Yugi danced/possibly made out with Rebecca, Kaiba... he can have a dance with Shizuka... Jou... I'll make him have danced with Mai... . Well... I think that this one sort of killed any hopes you had for good suspense... oh well. Thanks for all your great reviews!

**norestar-angel**, thanks for reviewing so loyally!

**AREZAL**, I know, I'm so mean to poor little kawaii-to-no-end Yugi. -sigh- But he gets someone his own height, and Atemu gets Anzu! My plan has worked! lol. Thanks for reviewing!

And so ends the epic saga that is Christmas Dreams.

Peace Out,  
Eki


End file.
